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Russian defense chief says terrorist organizations still threaten stability in Middle East

According to Sergey Shoigu, terrorist cells are active in Mali, the Central African Republic, Mozambique

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Terrorist organizations remain a major threat to stability in the Middle East and North Africa, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said during the Moscow Conference on International Security.

"After the defeat of ISIL (former name of the Islamic State terrorist group outlawed in Russia - TASS), migration of trained militants to other states has been on the rise. The largest part of them relocated to Libya," Shoigu said.

He noted that terrorist cells are active in Mali, the Central African Republic, Mozambique.

According to the minister, there are attempts to involve terrorist groups "in the so-called democratization of a sovereign system of government in separate states, the rebirth of neocolonialism, and in taking control of natural resources".

"Using terrorists as a means of political influence is a very dangerous game. We can give several examples of how terrorists in Syria used their fighting experience and their skills to organize terrorist attacks in their home country," Shoigu said.